School districts across the state received a surprising Open Records request today from a surprising source — the governor. Nathan Deal’s office wants “records of dues collected by the school system for the Georgia Association of Educators and Professional Association of Georgia Educators.”
It is no secret Deal hasn't been happy with the opposition to his Opportunity School District by educators. The teacher groups contend he is targeting their source of financial support, member dues, as a way of conveying that displeasure with their resistance to the OSD, which is faltering in a new AJC poll released today.
“We see this as punishment for the opposition of teachers to the Opportunity School District,” says Craig Harper, spokesman for PAGE. “We are hearing from districts that they have gotten this Open Records request and are concerned about it and see it as indicative of this governor’s penchant for state intervention in things that don’t require it.”
In the official email from Chris Riley, Deal’s chief of staff, school districts are also asked, “Does the school system charge an administrative fee to collect the dues for PAGE and GAE? If so, what is the amount of the administrative fee?”
To read more about the Open Records request and reaction to it, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.
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